TUCSON — When Sandra Day O'Connor was a member of the Arizona Senate in the 1970s and needed to get business done, she would bring folks from both sides of the aisle to the adobe house she and her husband built, serve Mexican food and beer and work things out, civilly.
Sadly, politicians in Arizona and the U.S. are struggling with the concept of civil discussion — unfortunate, because civil discussion leads to "good civic action," O'Connor said July 19 at the YWCA Tucson.

As accusations of partisan politics and foul play continue to assail Arizona’s Independent Redistricting Commission, a message of confidence and encouragement was delivered to the group by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor continues to hear cases in U.S. appeals courts, while also playing a role in public policy issues. Her critics say she should do one or the other, but not both.